St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-02-23
TN Z HOUSE.
A Report Regarding the Manufac-
lure of First-Class Modern Guns

sure Va NEOOGTn
WASHINGTON, Feb 22.-The house met
this morning at II o'clock. Mr.. Bland, of
Missouri, as privileged question, called up
the vetoed bill increasing the pension of
John W. Farris. He bore testimony from
a personal knowledge of the claimant to the
merit of the claim. and asked that the house
pass the bill over the veto. The house re-
fused to pass the bill over the veto, yeas
1872, nays SO, not the constitutional two
thirds vote in the affirmative. The house
then resumed. in committee of the whole,
the consideration of senate amendments to
the sundry civil appropriation bill. The
committee having risen a conference was
ordered on the disagreeing votes of the two
houses. Mr.. Bragg (Wis.) from the COM
mittee on military affairs reported the bill
which is
INTENDED AS A SUBSTITUTE
for the McAdoo bill ito provide for the
manufacture of first class modern guns for
the navy and seacoast and other defenses."
Referred to the committee of the whole.
The committee report unanimously and say
that while they concur i'll the wisdom of
making provisions looking to system of
public defense which shall protect our sea-
board and the great lakes in case of the
contingency of war, which the committee
do not consider in any degree imminent,
they decline to adopt the proposed bill, but
recommend the substitute therefore, which
in the Judgment of the committee will fully
meet all present eXigencies and place the
country in a position readily and quickly to
provide against all further exigencies as
they may arise. The report is largely
description of the bill which was published
yesterday, and defines the objects of its
provisions. In referring to the apprOpria-
ton of S250,000 for steel gun castings and
forgingS for gun material for eight, ten and
twelve inch breech loading rife guns,
THE REPORT SAYS:
1t may be asked why the amount appro-
priated is so small, aud why no provision is
made for still larger gun, and why the ap-
preparation is restricted to steel and excludes
cast iron. The answer of the committee to
these interrogatiOns may be briefly stated.
Steel was selected because the committee be-
lieved it to be much the best material for
large guns. as proven by actual test, and it
would seem to be manifest truth to the Or
dinary mind from common observation.
Why are steel rails preferred in the construc-
tion of railways. and why is cast iron laid
aside and steel substituted? The answer is
manifest-by reason OF the greater endurance
of steel, the strain. shock and wear to which
the rail is subjected is better endured by
steel. The amount fixed is believed to be
fully as large as can be profitably expended
In material in the time within which the ap-
preparation is limited. and the size of the
guns designated fully as large as it may rea-
sonably be expected will be produced and
manufactured within the time limited. The
manufacture of steel for guns in this country
is in its infancy. No eleven or
twelve inch steel gun has been
produced, and no manufacturer has a plant
ready to handle them. 1t seems q simple
thing to order twelve or tifteen-inch rife to
be made, but we consider the enormous strain
which such gun must bear in order to be q
success, and the great danger both to the
men employed to handle it in action and to